Charles Sheeler was born July 16, 1883 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He received an education at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. After returning to the United States after a trip to Paris, Charles realized that he would not be able to make a living with his Modernist style of painting. Rather than pursuing a career in art, he took up the challenge of commercial photography. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Sheeler</span)
Early Career
Near the beginning of his career, Sheeler rented a farmhouse several miles outside of Philadelphia in Doylestown, PA. He and fellow artist, Morton Schamberg shared the house. While he had a roommate, Charles became strangely fond of the 19th century stove in this house, and called it is “companion”, also making it the focus of many of his photographs. Sheeler included various elements of the farmhouse in many of his photographs, and at one point he was quoted as referring to it as, “my cloister.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Sheeler</span)
Pursuing a Career in Art
As Sheeler made the transformation from photographer back to artist, he developed a technique that complimented his photography. Charles was in fact a self-proclaimed Precisionist Painter, and as in his pictures, the subjects of his paintings were often material things such as industrial machinery and structures, a style unique to Precisionist Art. He was even hired by Ford Motor Co. during this time period to photograph and also make several paintings of their “factory monkeys.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Sheeler</span) Although he played a major role in the Precisionism Era, he is also recognized as being one of the founders of American Modernism, and also a master of photography during the 20th century.
In 1940, Sheeler’s work was recognized by Fortune Magazine, and after spending a year taking photographs and painting six pieces, they were published as a series in the magazine. Charles Sheeler died on May 7, 1965, after leading a very successful life in the art and photography industries.
Charles Sheeler: American Percisionist Painter
Background Information
Charles Sheeler was born July 16, 1883 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He received an education at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. After returning to the United States after a trip to Paris, Charles realized that he would not be able to make a living with his Modernist style of painting. Rather than pursuing a career in art, he took up the challenge of commercial photography. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Sheeler</span)
Early Career
Near the beginning of his career, Sheeler rented a farmhouse several miles outside of Philadelphia in Doylestown, PA. He and fellow artist, Morton Schamberg shared the house. While he had a roommate, Charles became strangely fond of the 19th century stove in this house, and called it is “companion”, also making it the focus of many of his photographs. Sheeler included various elements of the farmhouse in many of his photographs, and at one point he was quoted as referring to it as, “my cloister.” ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Sheeler</span)
Pursuing a Career in Art
As Sheeler made the transformation from photographer back to artist, he developed a technique that complimented his photography. Charles was in fact a self-proclaimed Precisionist Painter, and as in his pictures, the subjects of his paintings were often material things such as industrial machinery and structures, a style unique to Precisionist Art. He was even hired by Ford Motor Co. during this time period to photograph and also make several paintings of their “factory monkeys.” ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Sheeler</span) Although he played a major role in the Precisionism Era, he is also recognized as being one of the founders of American Modernism, and also a master of photography during the 20th century.
In 1940, Sheeler’s work was recognized by Fortune Magazine, and after spending a year taking photographs and painting six pieces, they were published as a series in the magazine. Charles Sheeler died on May 7, 1965, after leading a very successful life in the art and photography industries.
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http://www.aaa.si.edu/exhibits/pastexhibits/folkart/selections.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Sheeler</span>